On Constantine Papadopoulos' ''Why nobody loves Europe''

Sir,

It is now arguable whether Europe is still experiencing the most prosperous time in its history, but we are without doubt enjoying the longest period of peace since the end of the Roman Empire. The European Union has transformed the lives of the 500m people living within its boundaries. We have gained control over our everyday actions and can shape the fates of our children. And yet despite its 50-plus years in the making, the Union is still not perceived as a "government of the people, by the people, for the people."

The EU still bears the birthmark of its intergovernmental inception. It displays the characteristics of democracy, but until recently all major decisions have been taken in a rather administrative way. With the exception of the European Parliament, the political bodies responsible for resolving the problems of the Union do not represent its citizens. Nor are they directly accountable for their actions to the people.

The impact of decisions made by EU institutions has, of course, changed over time. The lives of individuals are more and more influenced by the Union without any need for intermediation by member states. The most effective way for the people to exert control over these decisions is still via their national governments; that is why national and local politics prevail over European debates and most people feel indifferent about EU issues. Even though the last set of reforms under the Amsterdam treaty increased the power of the people, it is still hard to claim that their European vote counts for much.

The point here is that people do not want “their voices taken into account” or to “enter into a dialogue.” Dialogues between citizens and administrators always have a pre-determined outcome. What people want is to control the course and speed of the ship they are sailing in. And in a democracy there is only one way to do that – elections. Therefore I believe a reformed European Parliament with greater legislative and political powers is the only way to re-engage the people in the process of EU integration. Political ideas and agendas should be developed and discussed within transnational or EU-wide political bodies that represent Europeans, not Bulgarians, Germans or Italians etc. These bodies, not the administration, should strive to implement the solutions.

This is neither a perfect remedy for all problems, nor will it happen overnight. It will require more effort than any other EU undertaking so far. But as long as democracy is the best system of governance the world has to offer, democracy based on the European Parliament will be the only solution capable of satisfying EU countries’ political traditions. It is clear that no matter how many hurdles there may be, everybody living in the Union has to be provided with direct control over our common destiny.